Story A Journey with the Blackcaps **New Zealand vs Australia: 1st Test**

[shantanu_rooney]

Canteburry defeating Saffers, Wow!!! Morkels bowled well and Smith scored 81 , thats all to take from this match for the Saffer others hardly did anything special. Great story so far as usual Tom.

 

[surendar]

South Africa looked to have strong batting line up but they terribly failed Tom, you must be doing some magic.. of course, autoplaying!

Keep up the excellent works

 

[Highlander999]

"What they had to say?"​

Graeme Smith: Personally, I am very disappointed at this loss. These warm up games are meant to be games for us to get into form, yet instead we have taken quite a big hit. Albie (Morkel) and Morne (Morkel) bowled really well for us at the beginning of the match and Dale (Steyn) also bowled a good line. Maybe we let them score 20-30 more runs then they should have, but there was no excuse for the batting. It isn't really down to form with the bat, I think it was down to our mind-set. We were a bit too casual out there and full credit to Canterbury they did a good job with the ball.

Question from the press: Do you think that this match will have affected your chances for the ODI series?

Graeme Smith: Not really, if I am honest. At the end of the day it is just one match. The guys are probably feeling pretty bad at the moment, but all of them have a really good work ethic and they will be out there in training giving it 110% now. This loss might even be a blessing in disguise as it will hopefully make us work a hell of a lot harder.

Question from the press: You were in good form with the bat, how is your own game going?

Graeme Smith: Yeah, the ball seems to be coming nicely onto the bat for me. I was slightly disappointed I didn't make a 100 today, but a knock of 80 odd isn't too bad. In the nets I've been getting quite a rough time from Dale (Steyn) and I think having to bat against such a class bowler really does make you improve. I can see him really causing some problems for the Kiwi's and Aussies

Shane Bond: I have got to say it was a great feeling playing against eleven players of a world class standard. I felt that South Africa bowled pretty well, but we then went and bowled and fielded extremely well to get them out for that total. There are quite a few good players in our domestic system and these matches are a really good place for them to show the quality that they have.

Question from the press: You bowled pretty well today Shane. Do you regret joining the ICL and do you plan to play for New Zealand again?

Shane Bond: Do I regret joining the ICL? That is a tricky one for me. When I was first approcahed by the ICL, it looked perfect. I was getting quite a bit of money to play out in Asia, but I could still give 100% commitment to New Zealand. Obviously if I had known what would happen I never would have gone, as my first love is New Zealand but I made a deal with the ICL and I wanted to see it out. Now with all the problems the ICL has been facing, I would like to hope that there is still a place in the New Zealand XI for me.

Question from the press: If you don't ever get to play for New Zealand again what do you plan to do next?

Shane Bond: Well it is very hard to predict something like that. I suppose I would work hard playing for Canterbury or I might move over to either Australia or England and play in their domestic competition. It is very hard to predict that sort of situation though. For the moment, my main concern is getting to play international cricket again.


Australia meanwhile have been working hard for their upcoming 4 day match against Canterbury. After the mediocre performance against Northern Districts, they will be looking to set the record straight here and get the first win of the tour. Peter Siddle, Mike Hussey and Phil Hughes all shone in that match against the Northern Districts and will be looking to continue their good form. Siddle and Hughes as the new boys of the camp have been working very hard in training and surely this will have been noticed by the selectors and Ponting.

For Ponting, he now faces a slight dilema. Does he go in with the XI he plans for the first test or will he maybe throw in a few wildcards and see how they go? Players like Marcus North will be wanting to justify a position in the XI so will probably get a game, but what about Brett Lee and Stuart Clark? Is there still a place in the Australian team for them? It certainly is a very tough decision that awaits Ponting.

Highlander999 added 6 Minutes and 12 Seconds later...

That Mason's pretty cunning. He can play for ND in a four day match and then slip off to Canterbury to play a one dayer.
Nice presentation kiu

Magic

Cheers for all the comments guys

 

[saladguy]

Tom, call up Shane Bond!!! He's an awesome bowler on his day

 

[surendar]

If you don't ever get to play for New Zealand again what do you plan to do next?

naaaah, some fishing..some surfing.. some golf playing.. and relaxing in life. The job which general cricketers do after retirement.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Great press conference their Tom hoping the Kiwis can win this series, surely gonna be very tough one.

 

[Highlander999]

Canterbury vs Australia: 4 Day Tour Match @ Queen Elizabeth II Park


Well it is now time for the final tour match, between Australia and Canterbury. Canterbury caused a shock recently when they thrashed South Africa in a 50 over match. Australia will therefore have to be very cautious in their approach against Canterbury and not let themselves think this will be a walk in the park. If you can recall they did not fire against the Northern Districts and scraped a draw there.

There was a lot of discussion amongst the media beforehand about which side Ponting would pick, heading into this match. Would he go for his strongest XI or give a few wildcards a go? There was certainly a lot of competition for the bowlers. Mitchell Johnson is a definite and Peter Siddle, is almost pretty much guaranteed a place. However, that leaves a bit of a tussle between Brett Lee, Andrew McDonald, Stuart Clark and Ben Hilfenhaus. In the end Ponting made his decision.


Australia XI

1. S. Katich
2. P. Hughes
3. R. Ponting (C)
4. M. Clarke (vc)
5. M. Hussey
6. M. North
7. B. Haddin (wk)
8. B. Lee
9. M. Johnson
10. A. McDonald
11. P. Siddle

Out: Ben Hilfenhaus
In: Brett Lee

So Ricky Ponting has decided to go for the experience of Brett Lee and the potential of Andrew McDonald ahead of Stuart Clark and Ben Hilfenhaus. This is probably the strongest XI available to Australia at the moment which shows that Ponting obviously has a few ideas on team selection ahead of the first test against New Zealand.

For Canterbury they have made just one change from the side that beat South Africa,

Canterbury XI

1. J. How
2. G. Stead
3. N. Astle (C)
4. C. McMillan (vc)
5. R. Taylor
6. P. Fulton
7. B. McCullum (wk)
8. P. Wiseman
9. S. Bond
10. C. Martin
11. M. Mason

Out: Shanan Stewart
In: Jamie How

So Canterbury have brought in Jamie How for this 4 day match. It should be very useful for the young man as he will get to see the Australian bowling attack, first hand. Meanwhile the Canterbury side still looks very strong with plenty of players there with international experience.

Astle won the toss for Canterbury and elected to bat first on a rock hard track on a sunny day, in front of quite a big crowd. Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson will surely enjoy the extra bounce.

That first innings for Australia will be remembered as a what if innings. Marcus North performed superbly as a part time spinner, getting a nice amount of bounce and turn from the surface and picked up 4 very important wickets. Unfortunately though, Craig McMilliam showed he still has it, with an unbeaten 103. Brendon McCullum also hit an agressive 43, but the massive shock was Chris Martin having an 84 run stand with McMillan, before he was eventually dismissed for 31. Overall, Australia bowled pretty well, but will be kicking themselves about allowing Martin and McMillan to put so many runs on at the end, as they could easily have had Canterbury all out for under 250.

Marcus North was the star with the ball for Australia, returning figures of 4-79. The other four bowlers used by Ponting all chipped in and kept it pretty tight. Marcus North doing such a good job with the ball will really help ease selectors concerns about the spin bowling option for Australia after the void left by Warne. If North and Katich can pick up some wickets between them it should really help the Australian bowling attack.

Australia made quite a good start to their first innings. Both Hughes and Katich raced away and the 50 partnership was soon reached with both batsmen looking comfortable. However, the part time spinner Peter Fulton struck twice in the same over to get both Hughes and Katich, in exactly the same dismissals, edging to first slip. Clarke soon went quickly before Ponting and Hussey set about re-building the Australian innings. Things were looking pretty good for the Aussies and it seemed like Australia would easily get past the Canterbury score. However, Clarke and then Ponting went quite quickly and a comedy of errors led to North being run out, before a devestating spell of fast bowling by Shane Bond ripped the Australian tail apart, leaving them all out 236, trailing by 71 runs.

6 batsmen got into double figures for Australia, yet the highest score was 54 by Ponting. It was an incredibly disappointing show by the Australian batsmen.

The Australian bowling attack knew they had a mammoth task ahead of them after the failure of the batsmen. They made an awesome start, with Brett Lee getting first Jamie How and then Astle for ducks. Unfortunately, Stead and McMillan then put on over 100 runs for Canterbury before Mitchell Johnson got the breakthrough sending Stead's off-stump cart-wheeling backwards. Three wickets quickly fell with Siddle getting McMillan and Taylor and Johnson getting Fulton for a duck. Things looked like they were going Australia's way. They had Canterbury 162/6, with a lead of only 233 runs. If they could have only got the last few wickets and kept the required runs under 300 runs, they had a real chance of winning this match.

However, once again the Canterbury tail wagged and Australia wasted it. McCullum and Wiseman added 150 runs!!!! It appeared the Aussie bowlers got slightly cocky and were made to pay the full price. Eventually Johnson and Lee struck to get them, but the damage had been done. Canterbury were all out for 366.

Mitchell Johnson was the star this time with the ball returning figures of 4-86. Brett Lee also bowled well, and has probably cemented his place after picking up 3 wickets for 88 runs. Overall Australia bowled pretty well, it was just that partnership at the end which did for them.

So Australia had a whole day to chase down 438 runs to win. By no means is it impossible, yet the main thing they will want to avoid is being bowled out.

However, a pathetic Australian batting performance meant that it was impossible. Once again 5 batsmen made starts, yet no one went on to make a big score. Hughes and Katich once again put on a 50 partnership for the first wicket, but wickets then fell reguarly and in the end it was a walk in the park for the Canterbury bowlers. Australia tried to play for the draw and nearly did make it, but were bowled out with a few overs to spare for just 206. Hussey had looked solid, but no one could stay around with him and he was left on 49*

Overall it was a massive shock result and these three tour matches have really thrown the cat amongst the pigeons. Three games, two losses, one draw. Not the start that either South Africa or Australia were looking for. The Kiwi players must be sitting in their camp, rubbing thier hands with glee after seeing this. Australia looked shell shocked at the post match presentation where McMillan was given the MOTM award for his all-round performance.

What a result!!!

 

[shantanu_rooney]

First South Africa stunned and now Australia stunned. Cantebury playing better than the Kiwis. McMillan and Bond are in great form and nice to see Fulton take some wickets. Great story as usual Tom KIU

 

[saladguy]

Again I say call up Bond and maybe along with most of the Canterbury side. They are in great form and are literally unbeatable atm!

 

[bladescape]

For Canterbury they have made just one change from the side that beat Australia

I thought they beat SAffers?

 

[Highlander999]

LOL, well at least I know you are reading it. Cheers for pointing that out, have edited it now.

Thanks all for the comments so far, keep 'em coming :happy

 

[surendar]

May be we can recruit all canterbury players to play for NZ team and expect the same result? Keep up the great works, Tom

 

[just_cricket]

OMG Chris Martin is batting at 10! And he got 17! The Aussies must really be struggling...

 

[MWaugh]

The aussies have been absolutely flogged. However by the looks of it that is one extremetly experienced domestic squad. Pathetic attempt from the Aussies

 

[Highlander999]

Sorry about lack of updates here. My new laptop should be arriving in a couple of days and I will be transfering all my files over to that, so should be able to update soon. Thanks for your patience